NEW Xavier ROY LÂME CUBAINE First Edition FLAMMARION 2004 collection (Bernard Plossu)

Xavier ROY

Lâme cubaine

Published by Editions Flammarion, 2004

First edition

Hardcover with dust jacket

118 pages

320 x 250 mm

Text by Bernard Plossu

Cuba, pays déjà très photographié,avec de très bonnes images, mais aussi des «clichés», un peu detout, avec historiquement Walker Evans et son époque : œuvre magistrale,totalement fidèle à Cuba !

Quand un photographe sentqu»il doit retourner quelque part», c'est qu'il a compris que pourvraiment photographier juste, il doit se confronter plusieurs fois, encore etencore, au pays qui l'attire comme par magie – c'est un besoin plus fort quelui – et Xavier Roy donc est reparti pour Cuba dix fois de suite !!

Et voici des images qui arriventsur les planches contacts : des gens, beaucoup de visages, car Xavier Roy aimeles gens, leur parler, les rencontrer, leur sourire et éventuellement faireleur portrait, tel ce vieil homme à la moustache blanche et au doux sourire,tranquillement assis, ou ce grand-père avec un enfant, sous son chapeau depaille, torses nus ; il fait si chaud ! Et aussi cet homme derrière sa fenêtreavec son chien qui passe le museau à travers les barreaux; cette jeune femme enbigoudis au sourire complice !, et bien d'autres encore !

De fait tous ces portraits nousplongent dans l'ambiancemême de Cuba : on sent le climat,on voit l'architecture, le temps qui passe, plein d'indications : quand onvoyage, on ne change pas seulement de frontières, mais d'odeurs de goûts, detout !

BernardPlossu

Cuba is a country rich in culture and beauty that often caught the eye of the photographers and the attention of the camera lens.

A very well photographed country, the beauty and mystery of Cuba can be seen in many fantastic images. Although these images all encompass the same vast country, they are very diverse: some are “clichés” meanwhile others like those of Walker Evans and his time are real masterpieces that remain totally faithful to Cuba !

When a photographer feels that he ” should return somewhere”, it means that he knows that in order to truly capture the image he must fully immerse himself in the soul of the country overand over again, as if drawn by magic. It is a need stronger than the photographer himself, and that is why Xavier Roy returned to Cuba more than a dozen times!

And finally the pictures appear on the contact sheets, many faces, as Xavier loves people.He enjoys smiling and talking to them… and eventually he takes their portrait. And so he did for this old man with his mustache and sweet smile or this grandfather and his child, bare-chested under his straw hat….The Cuban sun is so strong! Not to forget this man behind his window in company of his dog, snout through the bars, and this young woman with curlers and a conniving smile. And many more!

In fact all this portraits takes us deep into the real Cuba: we can feel the climate, see the architecture, the timepassing by and a lot more. When we travel, we not only cross borders and change country, but thetastes, the smells and all the rest changes as well …

BernardPlossu